iwlagn: Firmware API v3 provided but drivers supports v2

[Christian Skarby]

Binary package hint: linux-firmware

Running Ubuntu karmic 9.10 alpha 6 desktop i386, but have tried a livecd for amd64(which also fails) on same hardware.
Found that /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-1000-2.ucode and /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-1000-1.ucode was missing, but /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-1000-3.ucode present. Tried to symlink ln -s /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-1000-3.ucode /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-1000-1.ucode - but then the module complains that v3 is not supported - see output from dmesg below.

$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu karmic (development branch)
Release: 9.10

$ apt-cache policy linux-firmware
linux-firmware:
  Installert: 1.19
  Kandidat: 1.19
  Versjonstabell:
 *** 1.19 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com karmic/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

# dpkg -S /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-1000-3.ucode
linux-firmware: /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-1000-3.ucode

# dpkg -S /lib/modules/2.6.31-11-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwlagn.ko
linux-image-2.6.31-11-generic: /lib/modules/2.6.31-11-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwlagn.ko

# uname -a
Linux 4810TZ 2.6.31-11-generic #36-Ubuntu SMP Fri Sep 25 06:37:51 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux

# dmesg | grep iwl
[ 11.197711] iwlagn: Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link AGN driver for Linux, 1.3.27k
[ 11.197716] iwlagn: Copyright(c) 2003-2009 Intel Corporation
[ 11.197829] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
[ 11.197868] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[ 11.197951] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: Detected Intel Wireless WiFi Link 1000 Series BGN REV=0x6C
[ 11.240755] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: Tunable channels: 13 802.11bg, 0 802.11a channels
[ 11.240854] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: irq 28 for MSI/MSI-X
[ 11.257059] phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'iwl-agn-rs'
[ 20.905452] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: firmware: requesting iwlwifi-1000-2.ucode
[ 20.968635] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: iwlwifi-1000-2.ucode firmware file req failed: -2
[ 20.968722] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: firmware: requesting iwlwifi-1000-1.ucode
[ 21.068160] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: Loaded firmware iwlwifi-1000-1.ucode, which is deprecated. Please use API v2 instead.
[ 21.068272] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: Driver unable to support your firmware API. Driver supports v2, firmware is v3.
[ 21.068373] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: Could not read microcode: -22
[ 21.448106] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: firmware: requesting iwlwifi-1000-2.ucode
[ 21.451917] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: iwlwifi-1000-2.ucode firmware file req failed: -2
[ 21.452026] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: firmware: requesting iwlwifi-1000-1.ucode
[ 21.459514] iwlagn 0000:02:00.0: Loaded firmware iwlwifi-1000-1.ucode, which is deprecated. Please use API v2 instead.

# lscpi -v # relevant output
02:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation WiFi Link 100 Series
 Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 1305
 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 28
 Memory at d2400000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8K]
 Capabilities: [c8] Power Management version 3
 Capabilities: [d0] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable+
 Capabilities: [e0] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
 Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting <?>
 Capabilities: [140] Device Serial Number 96-eb-06-ff-ff-64-1e-00
 Kernel driver in use: iwlagn
 Kernel modules: iwlagn

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Sep 30 12:28:37 2009
Dependencies:

DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
Package: linux-firmware 1.19
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=nb_NO.UTF-8
 LANG=nb_NO.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-11.36-generic
SourcePackage: linux-firmware
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-11-generic i686

[Tim Gardner (timg-tpi)]

After some research and a little correspondence with Intel it turns out that the iwl-1000 series of cards never really worked in 2.6.31. I'm going to retarget this bug to the linux package, and disable the two PCI IDs for these cards. Alternative solutions are to install linux-backports-modules, or run a 2.6.32 mainline kernel release candidate (http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline).

[Tim Gardner (timg-tpi)]

Disable PCI devices 0x8086:0x0083 and 0x8086:0x0084

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/git?p=ubuntu/ubuntu-karmic.git;a=commit;h=04357157aaf9ad28c505a2cf43c02d0e163a6ded

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package linux - 2.6.31-11.38

---------------
linux (2.6.31-11.38) karmic; urgency=low

  [ Stefan Bader ]

  * [Upstream] acerhdf: Limit modalias matching to supported boards
    - LP: #435958

  [ Tim Gardner ]

  * [Config] Added sata_via to d-i/modules/sata-modules
    - LP: #434827
  * SAUCE: (drop after 2.6.31) Disable iwl-1000 series wireless adapters
    - LP: #439285
  * [Upstream] i915: Fix i2c init message
    - LP: #409361
  * [Config] Add sym53c8xx.ko to virtual sub-flavour
    - LP: #439415

  [ Upstream Kernel Changes ]

  * sched: Disable NEW_FAIR_SLEEPERS for now
    - LP: #436342

  * ACPI video: ignore buggy _BQC
  * ACPI video: work-around BIOS AML bug in _BQC
    - LP: #428910
  * ALSA: hda - Added quirk to enable sound on Toshiba NB200
    - LP: #438318

 -- Tim Gardner <email address hidden> Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:52:09 -0600